High school students want sex ed sooner, University of Ballarat study finds

HIGH school students want sex education sooner and topics including pregnancy and puberty taught in primary school, a study has found.

But most teachers of grade five and six students are uncomfortable talking about the reproductive system in sex education class, another study by the same researchers has found.

More than half of students in years 7, 8 and 9 thought almost all aspects of sex education topics should be introduced in primary school, according to the survey of about 100 students in the Victorian regional city of Ballarat, it's been reported.

"Across the board they wanted information much, much earlier than they were getting it," researcher Bernadette Duffy said.

"I think that they should be at least being taught about [puberty] in grade 3 and 4.

"Some of them wanted information so they knew what was being talked about when they got to high school."

The University of Ballarat researchers presented three studies on sex education at an education conference at the University of Sydney on Monday.

The Australian curriculum authority would introduce sex education in grades 5 and 6, but not in grades 3 and 4, as earlier recommended.